There’s More To Your Fuzzball Than You Realize When You Learn How To Speak Cat

If you want to learn how to speak cat, you aren’t alone. Cats aren’t just for crazy cat ladies. More pet households own cats than other animals, according to the Humane Society. Cats rule households and now they rule the internet. We’re pretty sure they rule the entire universe. With all of this fascination for felines, isn’t it about time we figured out what our cats are saying to us?

According to the Associated Press, experts have identified at least 16 different meow sounds a cat will make only for humans. In essence, a cat is trying to speak to you when it makes little noises at you, as if you didn’t already know that. You likely already know what your cat is trying to tell you if you’ve been around your cat for a very long time.

However, if you’re new to the cat world, you might not understand what little kitty is trying to tell you. Your cat may have different sounds for “feed me” or “pay attention to me.” Another meow might be a sound for “let me out” or even “where are you?” Luckily, there are other clues to establish just what your cat wants to tell you if you know what to look for.

In learning how to speak cat, you need to pay attention to your cat’s ears. If your cat’s ears are flat against its head, then your cat is very upset. Likely now would not be a good time for you to get in your cat’s face. Cats do not like to be stared at, especially when they are feeling aggressive or frightened. You may need to back off and give your cat some space.

A cat’s eyes are great indicators to what they are trying to communicate to you. If a cat is slowly blinking at you, try slowly blinking back. Chances are that your cat is trying to communicate something to you something akin to affection. If a cat’s eyes are wide open and staring, the cat may be trying to challenge you.

Dr. Gary Weitzman is president and CEO of the San Diego Humane Society and SPCA. He is the author of the new National Geographic book, How to Speak Cat, and he believes the book can help reveal mysterious and often misunderstood cats’ true thoughts and actions, according to the Associated Press.

Even if you never fluently learn how to speak cat, knowing the basics will help to build trust between you and your feline friend as you adapt to one another and figure each other out.